Victims of crime

The police do all they can to reduce crime. Unfortunately, however, the police department has no ad hoc system of crime prevention.

Criminals use sophisticated manners of entry with intent to burgle. Everywhere, the police invariably complain that they lack human resources. That may be so in certain areas but certainly not all over the country.

It is in such a context of personnel that the police feel the need of volunteer help. It is with a feeling of something missing when it should not be that one decries the insufficient number of neighbourhood watch schemes. It is a pity that even in high crime areas people are reluctant to organise a neighbourhood watch.

A modern integrated approach in the criminal justice system considers many factors. There must be first of all an efficient law enforcement agency, which we have in our police force. The courts must have the power to deal with offenders. A probation service has to be organised to deal with putting community penalties into effect.

So far community penalties are not being awarded by the courts. Certainly no less important are the rights and expectations of crime victims.

The criminal is entited to fundamental human rights such as a fair and quick trial and humane treatment during punishment. Government has a special duty to protect the public. Police receive training both as recruits and later during specialised and refresher courses. Police manpower is on the increase and the power of the courts has been strengthened.

What needs to be done is the drawing up of a crime prevention system. There should be a central crime prevention unit (CPU) at general headquarters and in every division for a start. Eventually a CPU should be present in every manned police station. There are enough personnel trained in crime prevention.

The importance of crime prevention must be stressed to help people take steps to safeguard themselves, their families and their property.

Setting up neighbourhood watch schemes should be a priority for the Policy Planning Unit. The police have to show initiative and imagination in creating such schemes. Crime prevention panels should exist both in the service and in volunteer work to help reduce crime.

Just as offenders have certain fundamental human rights, so have victims. This is of vital importance. Yet the effects of crime on the victim are not realised with enough sympathy and understanding. The White Paper on criminal law reform some time ago did entail plans to cope with the trauma and ill effects of crime victims.

There can be victims of violence against women and sexual, physical and psychological abuse of children. These types of violence and abuse have been on the increase lately. Or rather notice of their existence has been registered and brought to public notice.

A voice for victims

Victims should be given a voice and a remedy. Admittedly, services cannot be expected to do everything at once, especially when the programme of effective crime prevention and victim support is only just about dawning.

It is also reasonable to point out that the police are trying to cope more effectively with other work. The very serious increase in drug abuse and trafficking has made life difficult for the law enforcer. Life is made more stressful for these people with growing traffic in human beings seeking better living conditions in Europe. Trafficking in illegal migrants stretches to the limit the availability of human resources and equipment.

These difficulties in the work of the police also have a serious effect on the protection and assistance of victims. In a manner of speaking these illegal migrants are also victims of exploiters of human misery.

People expect more of public service from law enforcement officers such as the police and customs officers. The demands on those who provide them are both more varied and more intense, as has just been shown. For instance drug abuse is confounded by theft. Breaking in with violence especially on old people is more frequent.

The gains from theft and the charge of transporting illegal migrants more often than not result in money laundering. This crime is not easy to detect and it requires a special branch to deal with it. Thankfully such units exist and their ork is cut out with the need of enough specially trained officers to investigate this crime successfully.

In this context it is worth noticing that the penalty of drug trafficking besides imprisonment and fine is the confiscation of assets. This is justified when it is proved that such property could not be the result of honest exercise of trade or profession.

Victim support

Victim support is essentially an independent voluntary service. It is the duty of the police to apprehend offenders and bring them to trial. It is also their duty to inform victim support schemes, when these exist, of the incidence of the offence on the victims. This is the crux of the question. There should be victim support schemes in localities of high criminal densities. Otherwise it would be just empty talk.

The National Minimum Curriculum should include, at least at secondary level, the need of neighbourhood watch and victim support schemes. These are meant to help the police apprehend offenders by being supplied with descriptions, when possible, of the criminal and the vehicle used in the crime.

Adults too have to be provided with written guidelines such as a leaflet entitled "Victims of Crime". Police should make such a leaflet available to victims who report the crime to them. It should explain that the victim may obtain compensation for injury, loss or damage through the courts and eventually, Criminal Injuries Compensation Boards. These must be shown how to obtain information about crime prevention and the progress of their case.

Another leaflet, "Witness in Court", is to explain what is involved in being called to court and appearing to give evidence. It is envisaged in the white paper I mentioned that arrangements will be made so that the victim does not have to face the offender in court. Attention will have to be paid to the victim's special needs. No amount of bullying of the victim from any source during the process is to be allowed.

Most of this information is available to victims of crime in the UK. It is high time that they receive the same kind of humane treatment in Malta if for no other reason than that of minimising their trauma.